


Promise

by Beyond_Zenith



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Death, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Injury, KOTET Spoilers, KotFE spoilers, Nightmares, Prophetic Dreams, Romance, SWTOR, The Force, kotet, kotfe, star wars: the old republic - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-10-04 16:58:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20474450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beyond_Zenith/pseuds/Beyond_Zenith
Summary: After a horrific nightmare, a promise is made. But is it enough to protect everything Arcann has fought for?





	1. The Dream

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve decided to do something a lot longer than my usual writing to see if I can manage it or not. I plan for this to be three-four parts with one coming out every two weeks at the latest. Please let me know what you think, I always appreciate any kind of feedback. This story is written with one of my SWTOR OCs that I paired with Arcann.
> 
> Since this story is a little more violent, I am including a warning that it contains the following:
> 
> Blood, Severe Injury, Death

The sun sat low on the horizon, its top barely peaking out from the planet it was almost hiding behind. There was no other source of light and so the desert around him was covered in a layer of darkness, making it difficult to see what was ahead with any detail. Despite this Arcann kept walking, hoping to find some clue to his location.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been in this place. The sun had never moved throughout his time there and the world around him provided no other way to measure the hours that passed. Instead he kept walking, the crunch of sand and dry soil beneath his feet and the smell of the stale, dry air his only stimulus on this vast, empty world.

At one point during his walk, he’d attempted to use his holo to reach the Alliance. The device had flickered on for a moment, the blue glow it emitted lighting up a small area around him, but it quickly shut off. Since then, Arcann had been holding it in his hands, hoping the small solar panel on its side would collect enough light to restore its power.

It was when he first looked down to see the progress of the recharge that he saw it in the corner of his eyes. A small pool of blood to his left. At first glance it seemed no bigger then his hand, but as he moved toward it, it grew, taking up much the same area as this former throne did.

He inspected it for a moment, noting that the blood was still fresh, but saw no sign of a scuffle or anything to explain where it had come from. Arcann then looked beyond it and saw more blood in the distance, accompanied by drag marks. It was clear that whoever or whatever had lost the blood was severely injured.

Perhaps they were looking for help? And if so, maybe they were heading in a direction where he could find other people? Or maybe they simply headed in a random direction, much like he’d been. Regardless, Arcann chose to follow the trail of blood. At the very least he would try to help the injured being if he could.

The trail had been stretching on for some time, the blood pools becoming smaller and more spaced out when he saw a body in the distance. He couldn’t see much at first, only that they laid on their side, curled up into a pitiful ball.

It was when he drew closer that panic began to set in and his feet started moving quicker. With every step forward he took, the body’s outline became more visible and more familiar. His hands began to tremble as dread filled him. There was no way Cilia could be here. He’d walked with her to her quarters on Odessen and seen her off for the night after a quick kiss.

He broke into a sprint when the outline of the armour he remembered lovingly crafting for her came into view, parts of it bend and dented by an unknown assailant. It didn’t take him long to reach her, but the damage was clear. Her armour was beyond repair with parts of it even pushed inward, undoubtedly causing her internal injury. 

When he reached her Arcann knelt beside her, softly lifting her head to check if she was still awake. What he saw when her face came into full view made his stomach drop.

She looked at him with glazed over, vacant eyes that lacked their usual vibrancy and cheer. Her skin, once a golden yellow was drained of almost all its colour and had no warmth to it. The sides of her mouth twitched as if trying to form a smile but stopped after a few seconds of trying. He looked down toward her stomach and saw her hands trying to cover a vicious wound that stretched the width of her body.

He lowered her face back down then quickly moved his hands to his clothes, desperately trying to rip off a piece to try and stem the bleeding. A violent cough rocked her as he worked, making him move faster as desperation set in.

She looked at him then. The sides of the mouth had blood dripping from them, but that didn’t stop her from speaking with a weak, tired voice.

“Arcann, I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise. I’m sorry I didn’t come back safe.”

A final breath left her, he felt it hit his hand before fading away and as it did he realised she was gone. He didn’t react at first. Doubt and grief had left him incapable of anything but staring at the body of the woman he loved. The woman who he had failed to protect despite so many promises.

Arcann felt his hands start to tremble as tears filled his eyes. He had no idea what to do. He’d lost the person who’d saved him, who’d loved him despite everything he’d done. What was left for him?

"Arcann"

Her voice echoed around him as he started sobbing. His hands covering his face in a futile attempt to shield himself from what had happened. As if fuelled by his grief the force flowed around him, swirling and dancing like a raging river during a fierce storm.

"Arcann, wake up!"

Arcann’s eyes opened violently, ripping him from his nightmare and the horror that dwelt within it. A large barrage of clanging and dings stole his attention for a moment before he saw her. Above him to his immense relief was Cilia, features drenched in concern as she stared at him.

He felt a single tear leave his eye as his hand reached up and caressed her cheek for a moment, feeling the warmth emanating from it like sun. She smiled when he touched her cheek, her concern lessened but not gone.

“Arcann, what were you dreaming about?”

“I- “

He didn’t want to tell her at first. It was as if telling her would somehow make it real. But he knew if anyone could quell his fears, it would be the person at the centre of them.

“I watched you die. I watched you apologise to me even for it though I failed to save you.”

The mere thought of the false reality he just left compelled him to sit up and pull his love into a desperate hug. He closed his eyes and simply took in her scent and warmth allowing it to wash away the guilt, fear and sorrow he had felt moments before.

They sat that way for a few minutes, Cilia willing to give Arcann all the time he needed to recover and ensure himself that she was still with him. It was when he opened his eyes that he took in the room around him. What had once been a clean, organised space was in disarray. The bigger items and pieces of furniture like his desk had been dragged from their places. Smaller items were scattered like leaves, thrown around with such strength that many of them were broken. He spotted his holo among the mess, now a mangled heap of wires and metal.

He pulled back from their embrace, looking at Cilia with a confused look.

“Did I do this?”

She nodded.

“Lana woke me up after there was a report of loud noises and sobbing coming from your room. I though you were in trouble, so I came as quickly as I could. That’s when I found you sobbing in your sleep and your force powers going haywire.”

He let out a long breath. This wasn’t the first nightmare he’d had since he was cleansed of his darkness. Much of what he had done now clung to him, a constant reminder of the horror he’d inflicted on the galaxy, but this was by far the most severe.

Arcann softly gripped Cilia’s shoulders, drawing her gaze to meet his own. Her eyes were vibrant and filled with the love. They gave him confidence and the drive to say his next words.

“Cilia, I know I can’t always follow you on every mission, I know I can’t always be there to protect you. So, I can only ask that you stay safe and that you come back to me. I don’t know what I’d do or who I would become if I ever lost you.”

His voice was a desperate plea, an attempt to avert a future he knew was possible. Still, he had to hear her say it.

She smiled a smile that radiated her love for him. A smile he hoped he would never be without.

“Of course, Arcann. I promise I shall never leave you. I will always come back to you.

They embraced again and Arcann felt his world tighten, secured by a promise he knew was sincere.


	2. Realities Collide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite his peaceful surroundings, Arcann sees two realities collide.

Arcann stared at the table in front of him with a bewildered expression as he thought over his options. When they’d first arrived at the hilltop where the table sat, Senya had assured him that all the food would be to his liking, and after a quick glance at the available dishes, Arcann recognised several of his childhood favourites among the selection of mostly unknown cuisine. Their presence made him quickly realise that as impromptu as their picnic had originally seemed, Senya had been planning it for some time.

She’d first approached him while he sat staring at data pad in the commander centre, awaiting any news on Cilia’s mission to Nathema. Even though he had a strong connection with his mother, he hadn’t noticed her at first, his attention being consumed by the device he held.

“Still awaiting news about the Commander I see.”

When his eyes finally drifted from the data pad he saw his mother standing beside him, a loving expression on her face.

He took his time to reply, his mind trying to think up an answer that wouldn’t worry his mother.

“I know how hard Cilia’s mission will be. Even though it may be a risk for me to return to Nathema, I want to be ready to respond should she need me.”

Arcann silently cursed himself as felt the slight concern radiate from his mother before her expression changed to match it.

Before he could try to soothe her fears, Senya softly removed his left hand from the data pad and held it in hers.

“This is about your dream, isn’t it?”

Cilia and his mother were the only two he’d told about his dream. They were the only two he felt he could trust with it. Both of them had tried to reassure him that they’d do everything they could to ensure it didn’t come to pass, but even so, he couldn’t get it out of his mind.

Before he could answer, his mother knelt down, softly squeezing his hand to ensure she had his full attention.

“Arcann, I can’t take away the fear the dream put into you, nor can I assure you that what you saw won’t happen. All I can say is that you need to have faith in her. Have faith that she’ll try her hardest to come back to you safe.”

“I do have faith in her, but I need to remain here in case she needs me.”

“You mean sitting here and tiring yourself out with worry? That doesn’t help her or you. Instead, make sure you’re at your best so if she does need your help she can rely on you, and not worry because she found out that you spent your day staring at a data pad. Fortunately, I think I have the perfect thing to get you back to your best.”

And so now Arcann sat on a hilltop above the Alliance base, his mother sitting across from him taking a sip of a tea she’d been given by Sana-Rae. It was peaceful up there, the noise and and bustle of the base seemed like a distance memory. His worry for Cilia was still there, but it had lessened, and a quiet surety had instead come to the forefront of his mind.

It was when he picked up a small pale yellow cake to try that they heard it. The sound of a great engine roaring to life and the hiss of docking clamps releasing. They both turned to see the Gravestone rise from its docking station, taking off toward where the eternal fleet was orbiting around Odessen.

“Why is the Gravestone taking off?”

They didn’t need to wait long for an answer. As soon as Senya activated her communicator what greeted them was a a single repeating message.

CODE SELVIN HAS BEEN ACTIVATED. ALL ALLIANCE PERSONNEL ARE TO FOLLOW EVACUATION PROCEDURES IN A QUICK AND ORDERLY FASHION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. MESSAGE REPEATING.

They both stood up at once and began to head back toward the Alliance base, an unspoken agreement between the two that they needed to get back as fast as possible.

The ten minutes it took for them to get back were hell for Arcann. The image of Cilia dead in front of him flashed into his mind, only interrupted by all the questions hounding him.

Why was the base evacuating?

What happened with the Gravestone?

Was Cilia ok?

When they finally reached the base they found it in chaos. Some personnel were handling the evacuation, while others searched for family and friends lost among the fleeing crowd. The Commander Centre was emptier than he excepted, the few within managing the mass of ships coming and going from the base.

Before he could ask a nearby Koth what was happening, Arcann’s attention was drawn to a small group standing next to the holoterminal in the middle of the room, which flickered to life showing a Cathar woman sitting in a captains chair.

“This is Captain Martz, on shuttle 19ZB. Requesting emergency medical team upon landing.”

“Request received shuttle 19ZB. Can we get a number on the injured?”

“Just one sir. Its the Commander.”

And with that, Arcann’s heart broke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than I intended. I hope you all enjoy!


	3. The End

The constant humming and beeping of the machines the surrounded Arcann provided him with an odd comfort as he stood vigil over Cilia. He’d first developed the feeling when his mother was in the Alliance base hospital on Odessen.

  
During that time, he’d spent every free moment he had watching over her, trying to let her know he was there and not going away. The machines that surrounded her reminded him that she was ok, that she wasn’t getting worse, and overtime that she was slowly recovering.

But now as he sat looking down at the woman he loved, that comfort was also accompanied by guilt and regret. He tried to ignore it at first, occupying his time telling her about what she’d missed missed while and her mission, like the food and drink he’d tried with Senya. When he finished with that, he started on what she’d missed since she’d returned.

But that didn’t work. His thoughts kept turning back to his dream, his vision of this horrific future, and yet he’d done nothing to stop it. The armour he spent so much time meticulously crafting had done nothing but cause her injuries to become more severe.

And where was he when she was risking her life on a far-off world? Having tea and biscuits outside the base. He wasn’t even on standby in case something went wrong!

Once again, he’d caused harm to others. Once again those he cared for were cursed to suffer while he remained safe.

He was a failure.

As his thoughts turned on him, his regrets were swirling through his mind and he finally broke. He lowered his head and messily sobbed into the bed sheets. His hands trembled from the strength of his cries, but still gripped onto her hands as if he couldn’t let go.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, crying out his grief and sorrow onto the cold hospital sheets when he heard the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard.

‘Arcann….”

Cilia’s voice was croaky, hoarse, but he still filled with relief when he heard it. He stopped sobbing but didn’t lift his head up more than a few inches. How could he look at her after his failures?  
For a short time, the only noise that filled Arcann’s ears was the beeping of the machines, then he spoke, his guilt coming out clearly through his voice.

“I’m so sorry Cilia.”

Once again there was a near silence, and then finally, she spoke again.

“Arcann, please look at me.” As she spoke, she slowly rubbed his hands with her thumb, her attempt at comforting him giving him the strength to look up at her.

It didn’t take a doctor to know she wasn’t well. While most of her body was covered by her bed sheets, he could clearly see her arms and upper torso covered in bandages. Her face has been mostly spared of damage apart from a few bruises and scratches.

What stood out most was her eyes. They were tired eyes that were…. full of worry and love? After his failure could she still love him?

“Arcann, I know you feel guilty and that this is all your fault. That I hate you for not protecting me. But please know I don’t want the man I love to feel guilty because of what happened.”

He felt the confusion he felt shape his features, as she continued, still softly rubbing his hand.

“We both know that we can’t stay safe forever, we’re going to take some major hits eventually, and there is no need to feel guilt over that. In truth, I need to apologise to you. I know I came back, just like I promised, but I put you through so much pain, you didn’t deserve that. Can you forgive me for that?”

“I think we both know that answer that that question, my dear Cilia.”

They both smiled in unison, and for the first time since she’d returned to him he felt relaxed and happy.

“Also, my love, I need to thank you” Cilia said, her smile growing as she spoke.

“For what?”

“I know I wasn’t conscious, but I do remember a certain gentleman telling me some stories, like how he had a picnic with his mother, which is something we really need to do as soon as we can.”

He lightly chuckled and Cilia smiled in return. Her recovery would take time, but now he realised all that mattered was that she had come back to him, just as she promised. And now that she had, he was a peace.


End file.
